Herrera's victory marks the first time a first-generation Latino immigrant has held a position in municipal government in North Carolina.
"We need to have a new voice in Carrboro," Herrera said. "We're making history."
But Spalt, who tracked the election returns on his laptop computer while munching on hors d'oeuvres at his campaign manager's house, questioned the results, saying the ballot returns were not yet official.
"The results are not yet clear," he said. "All the votes have yet to be counted."
Official results were not available as of 11 p.m. Tuesday.
All six candidates' platforms focused on three main issues -- affordable housing, environmental concerns and growth management.
But voters connected with the ideas of Gist, McDuffee and Herrera at the voting booth.
All three vowed to expand Carrboro's diversity by increasing available affordable housing, preserving existing green space and seeking citizen input in planning for future growth.
Gist said this election brought overlooked issues to the attention of the community.